Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cookies

Does anyone else already have a long list of things they’re planning on baking this fall? All I know is my list starts with apple pie and it currently has no end in sight. There are just so many cozy desserts that need to be baked. If you’ve got a list, these Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cookies would look pretty good on it, and if you don’t have one yet, let’s make one!

Yep, you heard right, Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cookies! They’re chewy and soft like oatmeal cookies, but have the classic fall flavor of pumpkin spice to help you celebrate all things fall. The pumpkin spice flavor is brought to you with the help of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg, and pumpkin puree adds the classic pumpkin flavor.

You’ll first start by soaking up all of the moisture in the pumpkin puree. I know, it sounds kind of weird, but this helps keep everything balanced so that we can add pumpkin to the dough without its moisture taking over. You’ll start off with ½ cup of pumpkin puree, but will narrow it down to about ¼ cup after you dab it with several paper towels. It will add just the right amount of pumpkin flavor without sacrificing the dough’s consistency.

Next, you’ll whisk together your dry ingredients while the butter and sugars blend away in the mixer. The pumpkin puree is added to the buttery sugar mixture followed by the dry ingredients and then the oats.

Now it’s time to scoop! I used a 2 tbsp cookie scoop to form 2 dozen cookies, but any size cookie scoop will work. Just be sure to leave a few inches between each cookie and adjust baking times depending on whether you use a smaller or larger scoop. Bake away, little cookies!

The hardest part about this recipe is waiting for the cookies to cool once you pull them out of the oven. You want to leave them on the cookie sheet for about ten minutes so that they can firm up a bit before being moved. One taste test (or two) before this is totally understandable for uhh….quality assurance. Now, let’s get baking! And psst…if you’ve got any pumpkin puree leftover, why not bake a cake too?

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cookies

Author: Marisa Guerra

Makes 2 dozen cookies

2 cups flour

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

¾ tsp cinnamon

¾ tsp ginger

½ tsp cloves

½ tsp nutmeg

1 cup butter, softened

½ cup granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

½ cup pumpkin puree

1 cup old fashioned oats

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Lay out several paper towels and place pumpkin puree on top. Place several paper towels over puree and gently press down to soak up excess moisture. Repeat until puree measures about ¼ cup. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices and set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and both sugars on medium speed for 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Gently add pumpkin puree with the mixer still on medium speed.

With the mixer on low, slowly add in the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure it is fully incorporated.

Add in the oats and mix on low just until combined.

Using a 2 tbsp scoop, form cookies into balls and place them a few inches apart on a parchment covered cookie sheet.

Bake for 14-15 minutes until cookies are firm around the edges.

Let cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. Enjoy!